It’s Goal Setting Season, Mother%*$#ers
In the wise words of Maya Angelou, “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” Looking forward with intention inherently requires a bit of reflection.
The month of December marks for many an opportunity to reflect on the past year. It’s a way to give closure to things, to identify and celebrate achievements we may have rushed through in the frenzy of life; reflecting can help us come to terms with difficult things that happened (and this year has had its fair share, that’s for sure). Looking back can help us reset so we can start a new year feeling more motivated and hopeful.
There is a slew of advice online about why it’s important to set goals and how best to do this (with science to back it up). For some of us, this time of the year may inspire us to revisit last year’s resolutions to see what worked and what didn’t so that we can consider how to approach the next round of intentions. For others, it may mean simply taking some time to scroll through last year’s photos and consider all that happened (even if it wasn’t much, it can be quite eye-opening to notice just how wonderful all that “doing nothing” really was, at least in retrospect).
Rounding up your achievements and goal setting, however, isn’t for everyone. Some of us may benefit from abstaining from the whole practice altogether because, quite frankly, it’s too triggering, especially after the couple of years we’ve had.
In a year when so little was up to us, comparing goals from year to year and seeing all that we didn’t do rather than what we actually did, can prove to be quite painful and discouraging. So many resolutions from years prior seemed so much easier once, so motivating and exciting, and now they’ve just turned out to be unattainable (resolution to “travel more,” anyone?) Lofty resolutions, in any year, set us up to fail right off the bat, while in a year like this one, failing to keep even the smallest of resolutions can really hurt our self-esteem. But there’s still a desire for hope, for something positive to look forward to, isn’t there? And I truly don’t think we can start to really look forward to things without looking back in some way, any way. (This is definitely true in marketing and why we value “post-mortems”!)
One writer I read recently offers a great alternative to traditional goal setting, which hinges on systems thinking—that is, goal setting that may “begin” at the start of a new year but one that’s continually adapted and revised throughout the year to better reflect changing needs and influences. It frames goals in the context of habits and attitudes and emphasizes the need to shift and optimize behaviours to support happier outcomes. (Personally, this is how I like to set goals, alongside a healthy dose of navel-gazing, tarot card readings, and my trusty YearCompass booklet.)
Whatever you choose to do this year as we get ready to flip the calendar to ’22, I thought it would be nice to take a moment here and A) share some ideas that have worked for me, while also, B) reminding us that looking back can take a number of forms. Not all of us want to do that. And that’s OK!
But looking back can also feel good. It can be cathartic, it can be a little nostalgic, make you cry a bit, laugh a lot, or all of the above. Looking back can actually be quite entertaining and fun—and yes, even in a pandemic year…!
As soon as I hear Bing Crosby on the radio, I’m reminded to not only head online to download this year’s edition of YearCompass, I also head online to read up on some of my favourite content that comes out this time of year: year-end roundups in media. It makes for really entertaining reading reading but it goes a step deeper: It also helps me to build a more global picture of what the past year has been without having to really look closely at the nitty-gritty personal stuff. (Because, I still haven’t hit print on that booklet and my tarot cards are still in their pouch…!)
So, if you’re not quite there yet in your personal reflecting and goal setting and whatnot…or if you never quite get there this year, here are some ways you may want to consider looking back on the past year without having to get too “personal” about it (though it may still involve some happy/sad tears…sorry!):
Here are also some great ways to get pumped for new things on the horizon (the future isn’t all bleak, I promise):
Happy reading, everyone!
And Happy New Year :)
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.